Pioneer Marina Iqbal opens a new door for women cricketers in Pakistan

What makes Iqbal’s rise significant is that she is a former cricketer. Iqbal represented Pakistan in 36 One-Day Internationals and 42 Twenty20 Internationals from 2009 to 2017. She finished her career with close to 800 runs and ten wickets. Still 31, Iqbal says her second career as a commentator is something she had envisaged as a kid.

"I always wanted to be a commentator. I have had an interest in it since a young age and I had it in the back of my mind that once I leave cricket, I will be taking on this field," Iqbal told Women’s CricZone. "Pakistan Cricket Board helped me a lot. They guided me and gave me an opportunity out of nowhere. Pakistan-Australia was a big series."

Calling her debut as "a second dream come true," Iqbal added: "Even while I was playing cricket, sometimes when I was watching a match on TV, I would mute it and start my own commentary. I enjoyed it and  I am really grateful that I got this opportunity."

Daughter of an army man who played tennis, Iqbal was inspired by her father to pursue sports. Like most girls in the subcontinent, she started playing cricket with her brothers before turning professional through a regional camp organised by PCB in 2006.

Officially yet to retire, Iqbal considers her role as a commentator a "big achievement" and says that she has picked up few tricks of the media trade from interactions with Abbas.

"It’s a big achievement. I have had a few interactions with Zainab Abbas. She is a great mentor, and it’s really good to see that in sportswomen are coming in such positions," Iqbal continues. "It’s often said that sports journalism and related fields are men-oriented. But, it’s a really good sign and it’s very encouraging."

Iqbal believes that her stint as a commentator and that of Abbas as a journalist will open up new avenues for many former players. "Many players will find satisfaction in knowing that once they leave cricket, there are fields to be exploited. It’s a very good thing for women in Pakistan overall, to see these changes. I’m sure PCB would also be considering this because, in other countries, female journalists, anchors, commentators, coaches have been around for some time now. It’s a positive sign overall. Apart from players, I am sure young girls will also want to join this field too."

Melanie Jones, Lisa Sthalekar from Australia, Isa Guha, Charlotte Edwards and Lydia Greenway from England, and Anjum Chopra and Snehal Pradhan from India are some of the prominent women cricketers-turned-commentators. Iqbal will always be remembered as the one who opened the door in Pakistan.